Missing Yu
by lucky7777
Summary: She's forgotten something, something important and she doesn't know why.
1. Chapter 1

**Missing Yu**

**Chapter 1**

* * *

The morning Winter gust greeted Yuzu on her way to school. She hugged her warm brown coat tighter, warding off the invading cold. Despite doing so, a sudden chill wrapped around her and goose bumps sprang up from her skin. Finally, after the wind subsided, she let out a deep breath she was holding. Fluffy white puffs of vapour clouded her hands, and she rubbed them together retaining what little heat she could.

Students around her fell into similar positions. This Winter was hitting particularly hard, and it seemed nature was conspiring to bring the next ice age in Japan. Yuzu flipped her head side to side, trying to spot a friend she could walk with. It wasn't that she craved the need for company but she enjoyed the presence of someone familiar—it always helped pass the time at least.

Upon further searching, she spotted Akane—one of her old classmates from the previous year—and she jogged a few steps to join her.

"Morning," Yuzu greeted.

"Oh, hello Yuzu," Akane grinned, showing her pearly white teeth. Her black haired ponytail swung as Akane turned to face Yuzu. "Heh, you looked pretty wrapped up there. Are you sending yourself off as a Christmas present?" Yuzu shoved her friend slightly. It was the kind of teasing she come to expect from the girl.

"And you're wearing too little. You're not even wearing a coat! How can you possibly stand the cold with just the school uniform? What's your secret? Thick skin? Special clothes? Or are you secretly a robot?"

"Don't be daft, I just have great blood circulation. It's one of my many advantages over mortals like you."

Yuzu giggled, mist forming as she did so. "Mortals? Whatever you say."

And just like a normal day, they proceeded to school with their conversation on lighter topics.

The school Yuzu attended thankfully had air conditioner installed, and she let the warmth wash over her like a warm bath as soon as she entered the main building.

After changing to their indoor shoes, Akane went her separate way, heading towards her homeroom class. Yuzu waved her friend goodbye with promise to talk again. Once Yuzu reached her own classroom, she settled herself into her seat near the far back. She glanced over to the adjacent chair. For as long as Yuzu attended, that seat was always empty. It was strange she thought. There were days where she expected someone to sit there dozing away, head resting on the table like a cute animal. It was ludicrous, she knew but her fancy always took off in that peculiar direction.

Yuzu shook her head gently, her homeroom teacher had just entered, and it wouldn't do to fall behind.

The minutes ticked by, and she found herself glancing at the empty chair next to her. She wasn't exactly sure why she did beyond a vague sense of wrongness, but she found her eyes always drifting back to the desk. Still, she jotted down her notes faithfully for later revision, and she put the event behind her.

Lunch time came, and while Yuzu normally enjoyed eating her lunch on the school bench outside, the cold made it a challenge at best. She instead sat by the window, settled in and opened up her bento box. A few of her other classmates joined her, and the conversation kicked up about the latest action duels. The Ryozanpaku School were in the news again as one of their members, Isao Kachidoki if Yuzu remembered correctly, had qualified to participate in the Maiami championship.

"It's completely ridiculous," shouted Hinata, sweeping his chopsticks from side to side. "There's no way that barbarian should be allowed to continue. It's inhumane I tell you."

"He isn't breaking the rules," replied Takashi. "Sure, he's borderline but you can't stop him from responding to action cards. Even if it's rough, he's allowed to defend action cards that way."

Hinata huffed. "Rules, rules, rules. Whatever happened to common sense? Argh, if I was running things so much would be different, right Yuzu?"

"Huh? Oh er yeah."

The two boys stared at Yuzu. "Hey you OK? You've been pretty quiet," asked Hinata.

"Yeah, usually by now you would yell with us at how stupid it is."

"It's nothing, I'm just a little tired."

"That's what they always say," said Takashi. "Really, are you sure you're fine?"

"Yes! It's just, it's just that chair is irritating me." She pointed at the chair earlier. "It's...empty and it shouldn't be I guess. I don't know how else to put it." Yuzu crumpled into herself, she knew it sounded stupid but she found it nearly impossible to express her turmoil.

The boys caught each other's glance, and Hinata shrugged.

"Er, I guess I'll move it away," said Takashi.

"No, don't bother. It's just nothing. I'll live."

And the chair didn't get mentioned again.

It was, except for that particular conversation, a very normal lunch time.

And yet Yuzu couldn't shake off the feeling that something was missing.

It was snowing when school ended. Not the blizzard you see in harsh winds but the gentle gliding of snowflakes that seemed to float on air. Taking an umbrella from her bag and flinging it open, she trotted down the path home. Unlike the morning where you have to climb up a steep hill to reach school, walking down was much less exhausting.

Yuzu's thoughts drifted back to that empty desk. It was about as ordinary as far as she could tell, there wasn't any distinguishing marks that made it special. It was old but serviceable, and to anyone else it would blend in the classroom naturally.

A blue car slowed to a crawl as it kept pace with Yuzu. The obscured windows rolled down revealing Yoko Sakaki. Yuzu didn't notice, her head was too deep in thoughts about today's events.

Yoko's voice broke her out of her contemplation. "Oh my, is that you Yuzu?"

"Ah, Ms Sakaki! How are you?" said Yuzu, smiling. "What are you doing out here?"

Ms Sakaki smirked. She was wearing her typical blue sweater, and her long blonde hair was tied up in a way that spoke of experience. "If you think I'm letting you walk in this weather then you got another thing coming. Come on in."

Yuzu reached for the door handle but paused halfway there. Her smile dropped. That amiss feeling returned, rattling in the corner of her mind like an intense burning nostalgia, and Yuzu didn't know what to make of it. There wasn't anything immediately jumping at her, but somehow this very scene before her, the kind act of Ms Sakaki driving her home was wrong. It was encapsulating and bitter, her heart ached and Yuzu was terrified to find out why.

"Yuzu?" Ms Sakaki was staring at her with concern on her face. "Are you ill? You look as white as a ghost. Come on in, we'll get you home quickly."

"R-right, thank you Ms Sakaki."

It was a quiet ride for which Yuzu was thankful for. She was under the distinct impression that Ms Sakaki was worried about her episode, and she didn't want to explain what the cause might be. She didn't think she could even if she tried—she had a hard time understanding it herself.

Ms Sakaki dropped her off outside her house, while Yuzu protested Ms Sakaki insisted that she walk her to the door.

"You don't hate my company that much do you?" She feigned a hurt expression. "Am I too old to hang out with you now?"

"No, no," Yuzu raised her hands. "It's not that far of a walk. I'll be fine."

Ms Sakaki got out of her car and locked the door. "Well you can't stop me from taking a walk now, can you? And if I just so happen to walk in the same direction as you well," Ms Sakaki smiled, "it would be a nice coincidence."

Yuzu sighed. "All right, let's go then."

A thin layer of snow covered the ground. Every step Yuzu took, there was a soft crunch. A lot of people complained about the cold week but Yuzu took delight in these rare opportunities. It was childish, not many her age would even agree with the sentiment, but there was something golden about walking through the snow like she was gliding on clouds. The feeling didn't last, it really was a short walk, less than a minute even. Yuzu unlocked the door and took off her heavy coat.

"Dad, I'm home."

"Oh Yuzu," Shuzo Hiragi, Yuzu's father, popped his head from the doorway, "you're just in time for my hot blooded training. Come join in, you'll be burning up hot enough to melt ice."

"Maybe later." She set her bag down.

Shuzo glanced at the other occupant. "Oh Yoko, it has been a while. Thank you again for picking up my daughter."

"No problem, I had some spare time anyway. Shuzo can I speak to you in private?"

Shuzo's eyebrows went above his hairline. "Of course, oh Yuzu," He turned to face his daughter. "I got some new cards for you. Why don't you have a look at them? They're in your room."

"OK thanks dad."

She spared a final smile at Ms Sakaki and headed to her room. Once out of sight and in her room she dropped limply on her bed, pressing her face against the soft covers. The bed squeaked, and she let her muscles relax.

Her mind flashbacked to when Ms Sakaki picked her up. That was the strongest emotional attack yet and Yuzu somehow doubted it would get better. She wanted to curl up, forget the event even occurred, but Yuzu knew that Ms Sakaki would be talking to her father about it. She was ashamed she was caught out like that. Her dad would be worried, alternating between cheering her up and consoling her. He might take her to the doctors, get her checked up for any illnesses, but she didn't think they would puzzle out her problems.

She rolled over, glancing at the new cards her dad brought. Yuzu reached out, parsing through the cards. They were mostly incompatible with her deck, either focusing on different archetypes or spells and traps that just altogether didn't fit.

It wasn't until she reached the final card that she got up. The card didn't exactly work with her deck, its effect worthless in a deck like hers but she couldn't let go of the card for some odd reason.

"Swing of memories huh?" she said to herself.

* * *

It was about when Yuzu was halfway done with her homework that her dad knocked politely on the door.

"Come in."

Yuzu's dad walked in, hunched over like he had a great weight on his back. He was dressed in his favourite red jacket and trousers that he wore more often than Yuzu wore her school uniform. His hair was slicked back into a wild mess. She heard some people describe it as uncouth, Yuzu just thought it suited her dad like a lions mane and she wouldn't have it any other way. "Ah Yuzu, almost finished with school work I see. Good good, keep on burning," he settled himself on Yuzu's bed.

Yuzu waited expectantly.

"So Yuzu, how was school?"

Taking the conversation starter for what it is, she recited the day's events. She omitted the incident at lunch time as she didn't want to worry her father even more—he was already nervous enough as it is.

"A very productive day then," He nodded in approval. "And nothing else then? Yoko said you didn't seem yourself when she came to pick you up. It has been a cold week, are you feeling under the weather? Is school being too hard on you?" He narrowed his eyes. "You're not getting bullied are you?"

Yuzu leapt to her feet, alarmed. "No, I'm not getting bullied, it isn't anything like that."

He folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Then what is it?"

"Ah-" Her reply died as it came. How could she possibly explain she thought. That the chair at school was bothering her? It was ridiculous at best, and she would be insulting her father's intelligence if she expected him to drop it with an explanation like that.

She fell back on her seat, groaning and took a moment to compose herself. She didn't know even where to begin or if there even was a beginning. Her turmoil continued and the longer she thought about it, the further her heart sank. After a minute of silence Yuzu mustered the courage to look at her father. He was still waiting patiently, neither overbearing or pressuring but with an air of acceptance.

Yuzu drummed her fingers nervously before deciding on a line of explanation. "H-have you ever had the feeling you've forgotten something, something important?"

He blinked several times before he laughed heartily. "All the time. Locking doors, meeting points or when I'm packing for a trip. I'm always racking my head to try and remember if I forgotten anything." He grinned. "I once forgotten to buy some groceries so I went to the local store. We lived in a different house back then and it was only across the street so it wouldn't have taken much time. I thought if I was quick about it, you wouldn't even notice I was gone." His lips twitched before he calmed himself. "I still don't know how you did it since you wouldn't have been able to reach the door handle, but you somehow broke out of the house and made your way there. You were crying so loudly at the entrance that I knocked down several shelves and broke a few freezers to get to you. Fruits rolled everywhere, cans spilled open and there was a huge puddle of milk when the entire fridge collapsed in itself."

"Eh, I did? Wait, how did you manage to make a fridge collapse inwards?"

His grinned widened and even from a small distance, Yuzu could feel his amusement radiating. "With my hot-blooded training of course!"

She rolled her eyes. She was tempted to give a good smack with her fan but restrained herself. For now at least. "Is this at a different store we go to?"

"No, it's the one we always shop at." Shuzo leaned back, lost in memories. "I remember the manager yelling at me afterwards. I would've gotten banned from that shop if it weren't for you. Even back then you were as cute as a button. Just as he was about to blacklist me, you grabbed his legs with your stubby little arms. You looked up with watery eyes, and the manager lost whatever anger he had. I met up with him later on, and he said you reminded him of his daughter. We grew a solid friendship after that."

"Oh is that why we always shop there?"

He nodded. "Ever since then I shopped there, it might be a little farther than we would travel for the main supermarkets, but friends comes first."

"So even though you caused all this trouble because you forgot your shopping you were better off for it."

"That's how it went."

Yuzu brought a hand up, stroking her chin. All this time, she was under the impression that what she felt was wrong. That any normal person shouldn't be experiencing these thoughts but maybe that was a mistake. Her dad wasn't what many would consider normal, he was loud, abrasive, passionate and though she sometimes had to smack him with her fan, he was her constant. He was familiar, as sure as the blue skies or as true as his love for her. Who cares if she had these thoughts? Who cares if they weren't normal? They were her own and she would accept them and move on.

Yuzu couldn't help let the grin on her face split open. Maybe it would get worse, maybe it would get better but the one thing she could count on was that her father would always love her. It didn't solve her problems, it didn't lead to a clue and she didn't have any great revelation but maybe with the warm glow inside her chest, she would find a way to find her footing.

"Thanks dad, really, I'm glad we had this conversation."

Shuzo was clueless as to what he said to improve her mood but seeing her honest smile, the worries plaguing him lessened. "It's what I'm for isn't it? Hey, how about you join my hot-blooded training? I promise we'll go to your favourite restaurant for dinner if you do."

Yuzu let a bubble of laughter escape. "All right just this once then."

"OK, get changed and be ready in ten minutes." He pumped his fist in the air. "The Hiragi family is on fire today!"

Yuzu sighed, but it wasn't a tired one. She simply felt content.

The next day was the weekend, school may have ended but You Show Duel School was still running. She was the first student to arrive as her father needed to be present earlier to set up class. She idly went through her cards, while they were powerful in their own right, she felt they could be improved. Maybe a new combination? Or a new ace? It was hard to decide what card could be dropped and what could be added, she felt every card already deserved their place. More importantly, what could she do that would entertain the crowd more? Unless she found a new evolution to her deck, she decided that she would stick with her Melodious.

The sound of the door opening caught her attention. Three children walked in, a loud racket accompanying them. They were the three youngest students of You Show duel school, Tatsuya, Futoshi and Ayu. They were each dressed in coats that was comically too big for them, their parents obviously deciding comfort over looks. Despite the precaution, their cheeks were cherry red from the frigidness of the outside air.

"Big sis Yuzu," said Ayu with a wide smile. "How are you today?"

"Hello you three and I'm just fine Ayu. I hope the cold didn't bother you too much."

"Nah its fine," replied Tatsuya. "Our parents made us wear these big coats. They all got together and went on one massive shopping spree. Ayu's parents took forever to decide on a coat."

Ayu scratched her cheek, slightly embarrassed. "They just want what's best for us."

"Exactly, they didn't want us to get the shivers. Too many could be bad for you." said Futoshi.

"Well you can take them off now, if you wear them for too long here you'll begin to get hot."

They each chorused a yes and marched off to hook their coats on the coat hanger. She smiled as they went by, she just couldn't help it they were too cute. Tatsuya had some trouble reaching the hook and Yuzu bent down to help.

"Thank you Yuzu."

"No problem," she replied. Then she frowned, a faint echo of a memory rang somewhere in her mind. She bit the inside of her cheeks before deciding to ask a question that just began bothering her. "Say Tatsuya, why did you join You Show again?"

"Huh? Why? That's because I want to be a great duel performer like you."

"Is that all?"

"Yup, I saw you at the exhibition match when you dueled Sora. You were both so amazing that I had to join the school. You were playing the amazing heroine and Sora was playing the evil villain. The role fit really well with his deck."

"I-I see."

He tilted his head. "Don't you remember? I asked you for the application form."

"Ah really? Sorry, must've slipped my mind."

"Geez, Yuzu," He pouted. "Please try to remember these things."

"I promise I will."

He nodded happily and joined up with the other children. Now that Yuzu thought about it, she did vaguely recall a duel like that at the beginning of the school year. She wracked her head of hair for the details, but no matter how hard she thought she couldn't get anything beyond a fuzzy image of her victory.

"Yuzu, what are you spacing out for?"

Yuzu nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned to face the owner of the voice. "Sora! Don't scare me like that!"

Sora was resting his arms on his head, a lollipop sticking out of his mouth. He was sporting his usual blue jacket and grey shorts that covered down to his knee high socks. He regarded her, unfazed at Yuzu outburst before shrugging. "It's not my fault you weren't paying attention, I was calling your name and you didn't reply."

Yuzu deflated. "Oh right sorry, lost in my thoughts for a minute there. What were you saying?"

"Class is about to start. I was calling you over."

"Right sure, let's go now."

They walked together to the class. The door slid open and Yuzu peered in. Her father was already standing at the front and the three kids had sat at their assigned desks. Yuzu made an aborted move at the empty desk beside her but shook her head. She thought she caught a glimpse of someone sitting there, like a flicker of hair, but it was empty.

"There you two are! Come in now, class is about to start," said Shuzo.

They both nodded and sat at their respective seats.

Shuzo cleared his throat before starting. "Now usually we would cover a few topics now but today is a special day. Instead of theory we're going to do some hot-blooded practical action duels."

"Why? I thought you said earlier that we won't be doing practical's today." said Yuzu.

"Ah well," He scratched his head sheepishly, "I forgot that our new student is arriving today and I wanted to show her a good first day."

There was a moment of silence where everyone processed what he said.

"We're getting a new student?" said Ayu.

"And it's a girl," said Tatsuya, "what do you think her dueling is like?"

"I hope she gives me the shivers," cried Futoshi.

"Now now, everyone calm down. She'll be here in a minute. For now I want you all to be as welcoming as possible."

Three knocks on the door, and everyone in the room twisted. It slid open revealing a dark skinned girl with black shoulder length hair. Her eyes were sharp, and Yuzu knew instinctively that she was a powerful duelist. She scanned the room, pausing at Yuzu, before her gaze returned to Shuzo.

"Welcome, why don't you come here and introduce yourself," said Shuzo.

The girl nodded and made her way to the front. She turned, hair trailing, and with a voice that spoke of clear confidence. "My name is Masumi Kotsu. Please take care of me."

* * *

AN: Hoped you enjoyed it. Please review and tell me what you thought of it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Missing Yu **

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Excitement bubbled from the three children as they talked loudly amongst themselves, even the usually aloof Sora looked interested, but after a few moments of Masumi's continued silence, the kids gradually quietened down. Yuzu expected more from Masumi, but the girl didn't offer any other information apart from her short introduction.

Now that Yuzu had a clearer look, she was struck by how practical Masumi was dressed. She wore a loose blue shirt a shade brighter than Sora's jacket that covered her long cream-coloured shirt. The black skin tight shorts she donned allowed her easy freedom of movement. A holster hung from her waist and while it was hard to see from Yuzu's angle, she spotted her duel disk clasped safely inside. From her initial impressions, she seemed the private sort. The type to keep her thoughts to herself, not out of shyness, but out of the quiet confidence that she could handle everything the world could throw at her. In a way, Yuzu admired that. Pride and resolve like hers usually doesn't come from empty air, she must've put serious effort to reach where she is now.

Before the silence could become awkward, Shuzo clapped his hands loudly, dispelling Yuzu out of her thoughts and bringing everyone's attention back towards him. "Masumi here is a newly arrived student. She's come from out of town so be sure her to introduce her to all the fun places in Maiami." He nodded to himself in satisfaction. "Now why don't you settle yourself next to Yuzu. Any questions you have, don't hesitate to ask."

Masumi strode forward purposefully like she couldn't waste a second. Her face remained stoic even when Yuzu sent a friendly smile at the girl.

Yuzu stood and offered a hand. "Hello Masumi, I'm Yuzu. If you need anything feel free to ask."

Masumi regarded Yuzu briefly before shaking her hand once. Her grip was strong. "A pleasure. I'll be sure to remember that."

Yuzu's arm stiffened. It didn't sound like a threat but there was an underline of tension behind her words like a stretched cord ready to snap. After a second, Yuzu blinked and she awkwardly pulled her hand back realising that it was still stuck out. While Yuzu always wanted more female students, judging by her attitude so far, she might have trouble getting along with her. Still, the boys were there for her and Ayu was always adorable to be with so she wasn't terribly troubled by it.

Shuzo talked more about what was to be expected now that Masumi was a student. Once he finished he told everyone to bring their duel disks.

"All right everyone, let's all head to the arena. Yuzu, would you mind showing Masumi the way?"

"Of course dad," Yuzu faced Masumi, "let's go."

* * *

The arena was a large airtight room where action duels took place. It was grey, dull and the roof was made of chain-linked fences allowing natural sunlight to shine through. It was great in about any other season except Winter. It was covered up by some thick plastic draperies so at least snow or rain didn't fall on them. Yuzu bugged her dad countless times about getting proper walls, but it seemed to be one of those tasks that stayed destined to be on the to-do list. That of course meant the room was absolutely freezing. Despite the setback, Yuzu had many memories in here that brought out a sense of giddiness. The hours spent acrobatic training, bringing the younger students up to speed and just having fun with her friends. Naturally that included dueling or more precisely action dueling.

The solid vision system was a miracle technology that made up for any lack of creativity the room had. Holograms became solid and suddenly it was very possible to hitch a ride on a large dragon while dueling. If Yuzu wanted to visit the wild jungles, she would only need to upload the correct field spell. If she wanted to go to the beach, again a simple simulation would be all that's needed. There were other neat features such as raising the ambient temperature or changing densities, but they paled in comparison to the ability to interact with your monsters. Even with all these years used to the tech, it dazzled her that it even exists. She wished she could play with it freely but solid vision tech was expensive to pay and expensive to run. She would give her father a heart attack if she messed around with it.

Yuzu and Masumi were in the middle of the arena, readying the start of their duel. The other students had been led off and gathered in the balcony high above. Their high vantage point allowed them to catch every detail during the duel.

"Both of you girls, are you ready?" called Yuzu's dad, his voice tainted electronically from the microphone. He was in the control room which he only trusted Yuzu in unsupervised.

Yuzu glanced at Masumi. Seeing her nod, she shot the camera a smile and gave a thumbs up. "We're ready to go."

"All right, let's fire things up."

Light warped around them in an aurora of colours. Mixes of greens and blues and yellows wavered into place until land formed around them. Water splashed into existence and the ground below took on the texture of sand. Apart from the small patch of risen land Yuzu and Masumi was standing on, they were completely surrounded by water. Treasure chests filled with golden coins and jewellery were tipped open and a single lone palm tree was planted in the middle of the island.

Yuzu took a deep breath, relishing the suddenly salty air. It was a pleasant change of pace to the freezing weather at least. It's been too long since she last visited a beach and Yuzu made a mental note to ask her dad to visit one later on during the Summer holidays. A real one, not a solid vision product.

While Yuzu was used to the field, she was worried that Masumi might dislike the sudden amount of liquid. She may have pocketed valuables that might be ruined by the water or maybe she was one of those girls who hate having their appearance ruined.

"Are you fine with the water?" Yuzu yelled. "We can change the field if you don't like it."

"It's fine. I can deal with it."

"All right, in that case," Yuzu brandished her duel disk, "let's duel."

Masumi mirrored her stance.

"Duelists locked in battle," Yuzu started the customary chant.

"Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!" continued Masumi.

"They storm through this field! Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of Dueling!"

"Action Duel!" They screamed at once. A large cluster of light blasted above them and the action cards were strewn about.

"If you don't mind I'll start." said Yuzu.

She looked through her hand, blinked and then checked through them again. Yuzu eyes twitched. In her hand were: Mozarta the Melodious Maestra, Shopina the Melodious Maestra, Elegy the Melodious Diva, Transmodify and Cestus of Dalga. All of the monsters were above level 4 and the rest relied on conditions she didn't possess. She could do absolutely nothing. Zilch. It was quite literally the worst opening hand she could possibly pull, and the chances were so astronomically small that lady luck must have altered fate to play some nasty tricks on her.

Yuzu fumed quietly to herself. She had to end her turn. There was nothing else she could do, but the sheer embarrassment of pulling a brick hand, especially on her first duel with the new student, was a tremendous blow to her ego. She eyed the waters, sorely tempted to leap in and hide herself. While it was occasionally common to pull a bad hand for her, it was an entirely new experience to draw one this horrendous.

"I-I end my turn." Yuzu bit out. She peered hesitantly at Masumi who was giving her a raised eyebrow. In was only a second, but never had Yuzu felt her cheeks burn as much as they do now. She was sure she was giving off steam from all the heat welling up.

"Then it's my turn. Draw. I activate the spell card Gem-Knight Fusion. By sending Gem-Knight Sapphire and Gem-Knight Garnet from my hand to the graveyard I'm allowed to perform a fusion summon."

"Fusion summon?" Yuzu furrowed her brows. It was fairly rare to see fusion summoning. Apart from Sora, she didn't know of anyone else who even had fusion monsters. Somehow, despite the rarity, she couldn't summon up the emotion to be surprised. It was almost as if she was expecting it like she was waiting for the rest of the world to catch up, but that was a preposterous sentiment, Yuzu had only met her today.

"Crimson truth. Strong willed blue. Come together in a prosper of hope. Fusion summon. Come forth. The one who guides the end. Gem-Knight Citrine." The 2200 attack monster descended in a shower of sparks. It hit the ground hard, rippling the sand and creating a sizable wave. "Next I normal summon my second Gem-Knight Garnet." The 1900 attack monster materialised within a vortex of flames.

"Oh no," cried Ayu. "If Yuzu gets hit by both attacks she'll lose."

"Don't worry Ayu, I'm won't let that happen." Yuzu smiled reassuringly at Ayu's direction, more for Ayu's benefit than her own.

Her smile soon slid off and Yuzu refocused on her surroundings. There wasn't any way for her to know where action cards were placed; they were completely random, but generally there's one always nearby. A brief few seconds of search and her eyes caught the back cover of a card in the treasure chest. She made a mad dash towards it.

"Gem-Knight Citrine, attack Yuzu directly."

The monster chased her down with surprising swiftness, but Yuzu was already at full speed. Her hand grasped the action card. A quick glance and she pulled back ready to play.

"Gem-Knight Citrine effect activates. Until the end of his attack, no spell or trap card can be activated."

Yuzu's eyes widened. "What?"

"Blast her with shining shockwave."

The intense light caught her by surprise and she couldn't help but let out whimper as her eyes were forced shut. An unnaturally powerful gust took her off her feet. For a fleeting moment, weightlessness overtook her before she slammed onto the grainy sand, rolling to a stop. She groaned and struggled herself up into a sitting position, brushing away the sand that caked her arms. A few more steps and she would've fallen into the deep water. She checked her life points, noting the decrease from 4000 to 1800.

"Yuzu!" She heard the three kids cry.

"I'm fine, nothing to worry about. It'll take more than that to take me down." She got up gingerly to her feet, mindful to not step back. Yuzu ran her clean hand across her forehead, brushing the sand out of her face.

"Gem-Knight Garnet, finish her off."

"Action Magic Great Escape. This card ends the battle phase, stopping Gem-Knight Garnet's attack."

The monster slowed to a halt and returned to his rightful position. Masumi glowered at the change of events.

"Way to go Yuzu. Hang in there." The three kids cheered loudly and it warmed Yuzu's heart to hear their support.

"I'm not surprised I'm winning. I can tell your mind is elsewhere since the second I stepped foot in the classroom."

"Huh?"

"Your eyes are clouded with uncertainty. Even now they hold no brilliance. I've seen clearer days in stormy skies."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying with the state you're in, I'm a better duelist than you." She flipped her hair, smirking. "I joined up this school because my father wanted me to prioritise entertaining over victory. It doesn't help that he's a fan of Yusho Sakaki, but I'm here for a different reason." She crossed her arms, frowning at Yuzu. "Once I proved I'm better than all the students here, I'm going to convince my father to switch me over to LDS. I'm more suited there, they have courses that could actually teach me something new. However, if the others are as terrible as you then I won't have any trouble. I held out hope that there were some talent here but from your showing, I'm frankly disappointed."

It was like a punch to the gut. Her words were as sharp as her tongue, and it was a lie to say Yuzu was unaffected. It rankled her to be scorned at, especially by the newcomer. If there was one thing Yuzu had that she could hold her head up high for it was her dignity as a duelist, and she would not let her provocation go unchallenged. Especially when she insulted her friends abilities.

But that wasn't the worst of it. Masumi's declaration hit exactly where it stung. Yuzu couldn't stop the memories of her younger days from resurfacing. From when Yusho Sakaki disappeared from his championship duel and as a result You Show became a laughing stock. From the muttered insults said behind her back. From those filthy looks that were thrown her way. Her hands shook from restrained emotion, her jaw clenched in a vicelike grip and she dropped her head low so her bangs hid her eyes.

"Well what are you waiting for? I ended my turn."

For a moment, the only sound present was the waves crashing against the shore. Yuzu wasn't certain what this girl has been through, but every fibre of Yuzu's being screamed at her to win. To win in a way that's true to the style of You Show duel school. It would be pointless otherwise.

"I guess to you it looks like I'm on the end of the rope, that I'm going to panic or run away. But, let me say this now. It's times like these when the biggest miracles happen. When the very worst situation occurs, when there's nothing else and when all hope is lost, just watch as my destiny draw turns around the match. My turn." She gripped the top of her deck, holding her trembling fingers steady and pulled. "Draw!"

* * *

Five minutes later and Yuzu found herself sitting in the classroom, chest prone over her desk. Her face was buried in between her arms.

"Cheer up Yuzu, everyone has their bad days," said Shuzo, placing an arm on Yuzu's shoulder. She didn't respond. "Don't let one loss get you down."

"Yeah, we still think you're awesome," said Tatsuya. "Me, Ayu and Futoshi don't really mind." The two other kids made loud sounds of agreement.

"Although after that grand speech, it was pretty funny that you drew mystical space typhoon," said Sora in between his bites of his sweets. "I don't think I've ever seen you look so heartbroken at a draw before; I won't be forgetting it any time soon at least."

Yuzu growled and Sora took a hasty step back.

"Now now, don't act so grumpy," chided Sora, "because of your duel Masumi's looking down on us. I can't let her get away with that." He chomped down the rest of his sweets and dusted his hands. "Guess I'll have to show her who the real fusion user around here is."

"Oh, are you planning on dueling her now?" asked Shuzo, surprised. "I'll see if she's up for another round."

"Ah don't worry, I'll talk to her about it. I wanted to speak to her about a few things anyway," said Sora as he walked off. "Don't stay down too long Yuzu, You Show depends on you."

They stayed silent until Sora shut the door.

"I better actually accompany Sora." said Shuzo. "That kid can really get under people's skin."

"Wait dad," Yuzu lifted her head. "Aren't you worried about what Masumi said? She doesn't want to even attend and we really need all the students we could get."

"Eh, not really, if she wants to switch I can't stop her."

"Then is she just going to leave then?" Somehow the idea irked her more than Masumi staying.

"Don't worry, a lot of times in life people take detours that they've come to appreciate later on. We just have to prove that we're worth the time."

"Heh," Yuzu smiled, just a little, "you make it sound so easy."

He let out a hearty laugh. "Talking about it is always easier." He patted Yuzu's head and left shouting his usual talk of hot-bloodedness.

"Do you want to watch it with us?" asked Futoshi. "I really wanna see Sora and Masumi duel."

Yuzu turned her head towards him. "No, I'm not feeling it. You three go on ahead though." She slumped back down.

The three kids shared a look, an unspoken conversation sparking between them.

"Well, we could always ask Sora how it went later," offered Tatsuya. "We've already seen how Masumi duels now."

"Yeah," Ayu agreed, "and she's not very fun to watch. Not like you, Yuzu. You always put on an amazing show."

"Exactly," Futoshi said, "I think we'll just stay with you."

A few seconds passed with the three of them peering at Yuzu's downed form.

Yuzu sighed and got up fully from her desk. "I'm happy that you guys care about me that much, but I don't really mind." They shuffled nervously in place. "Tell you guys what, how about you three watch the duel in my place and then later give me a run down on how it went. I rather you guys tell me how it happened than Sora does at least."

She nudged Tatsuya and he blinked.

"A-all right if that's what you want," said Tatsuya. "Let's get going. We don't want to miss the duel."

"Ah, wait for me," cried Futoshi as he followed along.

Ayu beamed and hugged Yuzu tightly before sending a carefree smile at her. "We'll give you the best commentary ever!" She hurried off, arms flailing to join the boys.

Yuzu smiled at her retreating form. Ayu reminded her a little of herself when she was younger. Unlike other girls her age, Ayu didn't shy away from contact with boys. It was because of that trait that allowed her to become fast friends with Futoshi and Tasuya. It was just like how Yuzu became friends with Gongenzaka back during her childhood days.

After Yuzu was sure they were out of earshot, she let out a long defeated sigh. It was a short duel, but it was one where she couldn't stop replaying itself in Yuzu's mind. The disappointment from her opening hand, the fusion summon, the hunt for the action card and the crooked look of smug amusement when Masumi realised her inevitable victory. It was like a bottomless pit opened up inside of her and sucked away Yuzu's confidence. She didn't like the insecurity that was left behind.

Although it did play a part, what really soured her mood wasn't the fact she lost, rather it was because that the duel reminded her of the early days of Yusho's disappearance. She remembered the countless nights where her dad arrived home, worn down to the bone from the constant harassment he received from angry fans. He was a link to Yusho and with the man gone, they went to the next best thing—her father. At those times, she always tried to be happy enough for the both of them. She's not sure if she succeeded but her 11 year old self tried her best.

It all spiralled down from there. The once popular You Show duel school saw a huge decrease in students and received a permanent stain on its reputation. No one wanted to associate themselves with a coward. Not the public, not the pro community, not even the kids in Yuzu's class. Not since she had proudly declared herself the poster girl of the You Show Duel school at her class a few days before Yusho's disappearance. It was a lonely, trying time. One that she's glad to be past now. Still, the echoed feelings from that time rose like bile within her. She could recall their endless goading and their condescending looks. The mockery that accompanied her like a creeping shadow. There were days where in desperate fantasy she wished she had someone else to help her bear through it with. Someone who understood what she was going through as well. A friend that stuck with her out of their genuine friendship and shared history. Her dad didn't count, he was already dealing with enough grief as it was.

She got the next best thing at least. It was around that time she met Noboru Gongenzaka. Even back then he was a large boy that towered above her by at least a head. He was built like a boulder, unmovable in his ways. When others wanted to pick on her, he would always defend her like a knight in shining armour. Despite her appreciation to him, she couldn't just open up about what she felt. He could readily sympathise, but he doesn't really grasp what's it's like to be in her position. He doesn't have to return home every day to see his dad's face covered with worry lines. He doesn't have to worry about his father making enough ends to feed his family. After all, Noboru is the heir to a successful duel school. He already has a future he can be sure of.

Eventually, though Yuzu didn't know how, her dad found out about the bullying and blew a gasket. His hot bloodedness combined with the fury of an over protective father was a combination that would make frighten even the dead awake. A lot of shouting, screaming and kicking ensured with her dad and the teachers. Somehow or another, the argument resolved and her school days slowly started to improve.

Yuzu's bracelet began to dug painfully on her skin and she readjusted to a more comfortable position. The door slid open and to her surprise, the three kids were back.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Yuzu. She glanced quickly at the clock, noting the time. "I thought you went to watch Sora's duel?"

"We did but it's already over," replied Futoshi.

"Already? But it's only been five minutes."

They shared a look and shrugged.

"It was completely one sided. Sora crushed her in minutes," Tatsuya said in awe. "Before they dueled, Sora started talking about how her fusion summoning was weak and didn't compare to his and that she had misplaced confidence in her own abilities."

Ayu wrung her hands together. "Yeah, Masumi got really mad then, she said she didn't like people who were all talk. I think Sora was a little angry because she wasn't taking him seriously."

Futoshi made a swooping gesture. "Masumi went first this time. She didn't draw a bad hand or anything and she started fusion summoning and set some cards, but Sora started wiping out her entire field. It was like bang and slash with his monsters." He flittered his hands about. "And boom crash with his spell cards. It gave me some huge shivers."

"And that wasn't even the worst of it," continued Tatsuya. "At one point Sora could have won by attacking with his final monster but instead he ended his turn. He shrugged and told her that he didn't want to let the fun end so quickly."

Ayu held her arms tightly, a frown marring her face. "Masumi tried to counterattack but Sora stopped everything she did. He destroyed her monsters, her traps, her spells and Masumi ended up with no cards in her hands. She ran for action cards but Sora always prevented her."

"Hn yeah, Masumi didn't stand a chance," finished Futoshi, nodding to himself.

"Wow, it was that bad?" Yuzu let out. "How is Masumi holding up?"

"She's doing fine," came a voice from the doorway. It was Sora casually leaning on the door frame. While it might her angle, Yuzu couldn't help but notice his smirk being more smug than his usual affair. "And Ayu and Futoshi are dueling next. Yuzu's dad is waiting for you two down there."

"Ah OK, come on we better not make him wait." Ayu exclaimed. She ran off, Futoshi following behind and Sora jumped to the side to let them through.

"Come watch us when you're ready," shouted Tatsuya as he ran off to join them, leaving Sora and Yuzu in the room.

"Aw, you should have been there yourself," complained Sora as he pulled out another lollipop. "I went all out to show we're not pushovers for your sake and you didn't even watch."

"S-sorry, I was a little preoccupied with myself."

"Hmm," he glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. "Well that's fine, I could always beat her again. She isn't anything special anyway."

"What is she doing now?"

"Who knows? I left before she did but I'm bet whatever she's doing, she's not happy."

"Right..."

They sat together in silence except for the occasional crunch from Sora's sweets. Yuzu had to admit, there was a part of her that held some vindictive satisfaction about Masumi's loss, but she much preferred it if it was her standing over triumphant. She supposed there was always time later. Now that Masumi lost against Sora, by her admission she won't be transferring away unless she beats him. If there was one thing Yuzu was sure of however, it was that she needed to improve her deck for the better. Her performance today fell far too short of her expectations. With the upcoming Maiami Championship in Spring, she would need to be on her A-game. She especially did not want another brick hand incident again, not in the full view of the public. It would be the perfect chance to showcase how much You Show has improved from its prejudiced image.

"Hey are we just gonna sit here all day?" asked Sora. "I don't exactly mind but others will complain at you later on."

"Oh, of course. Let's go watch Ayu and Futoshi's match." They got out of their seat and made their way. Despite her words, Yuzu mind was still stuck on improving her deck. She heard once that to improve, it's a good idea to incorporate an enemies tactic. Yuzu gave a speculative look at Sora.

"What? I'm not lending you any candy if that's what you want."

She ignored his quip. "Fusion summoning huh..."

* * *

AN: And here's the next chapter. While I was writing it, I mistakenly thought Futoshi's name was Furiko. I'm not sure if anyone caught onto it in the first chapter but I fixed it now. As always I hoped you enjoyed it, leave a review and tell me what you thought of it.


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